Improvement in perforating-stamps



s. MURSBT au J. MORAWFORD.

PrfOr'ating-Stampg.

No. 215,386. y Patented May13,1s19.

W] T NESSES IN VEN T OR S,

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Y L@ @my ATTORNEW N. PETERS. FHDTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D C4 UNITED STATES SAMUEL MURSET AND JOHN M. CRAWFORD, OF PHILADELPHIA, PA.

IMPROVEMENT IN PEBFORATlNG-STANI PS.

Specification forming part of LettersPatent No. 215,386, dated May 13, 1879; application led September 14, 1878.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that we, SAMUEL MURsET and JOHN M. CRAWFORD, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stamp Canceling and Marking Devices; and We do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which forni part of this specification, in Which- Figures 1 and 2 are vertical transverse sections 5 Fig. 3, a side elevation of our invention; Fig. 4, an inverted plan view. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are perspective details, and Fig. Sis a detail section of a modification of our invention.

Our invention consists of a tool adapted to deface postage and other stamps by cutting away a portion thereof, so as to prevent the reuse of the same. Said tool is further provided with letters and figures adapted for the reception of marking-ink, so that in the one operation, or by one movement, a letter-stamp may be defaced beyond power of restoration an d the usual post-mark made on the uncutportion of said stamp, or on the envelope to which said stamp is attached.

Our invention relates to the peculiar construction of the cutting devices and in the combination and arrangement of devices, as hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A indicates a handle having a socket or recess, a. B is a sleeve or tube fastened to said handle by screws b. C is another tube iitting snugly within the sleeve B, having a head or end, c, upon which rests one end of a spiral spring, D, located within the socket u. The sleeve B has vertical slots b1 b1, and the tube C is provided with screws c1 c1, which project into said slots, being fitted so as to freely slide up and down therein. The tube G projects slightly beyond the sleeve B, the extent of proj ection being equal to the vertical length of the slots b1, so that when said tube C is pushed up in the sleeve B or the latter slid down upon the former the edges b2 c2 will nearly coincide or be in the same horizontal plane. E is a stein located in the socket ce, being fastened ings.

therein by a pin, e, passing througha thiinble or plug, e'. Said stem projects downwardly into the tube (l, and is provided with a head, F. Said head has a central slot or kerf, f, which forms two walls or sides, f1 f', said sides being slotted transversely, as shown at f2, for the passage of a shaft or axle, hereinafter described. Pins f3 f3 project into the slot f from opposite sides of the walls f1 f1. G G are disks or cutters having central openings g for the passage of the shaft and projecting cutting points or teeth g1g/l. They are Valso formed with slots g2 g2, into vwhich enter the pins f3. H represents a disk fastened on the outer end of the tube O by screws l1. h. Said disk has a central oblong slot, H, with two beveled or knife edges, h2 h2, constituting cutter-bars for the teeth g1 gl, which, when the tool is actuated, cut through said opening H. The disk H may be fastened directly tothe end of the tube C, but is, by preference, secured to cheek-pieces K K, made fast within said tube, as shown. rEhe shaft I nds its bean.

ings in said tube O and cheek-pieces K K, and is prevented from moving' endwise when in position and acting by the tube B. j

The foregoing constitute the parts of the tool which deface the stamp by cutting, and may be used without the printing or postmarking part, which latter I shall now proceed to describe.

L represents a tube having an offset, l, which receives a spiral spring, l1. Said tube has slots Z2, through which pass screws Z3 to the sleeve B. Said screws maintain the tube L in position on the sleeve B, and the slots l2 allow it to slide lengthwise on the latter. L is a slide which forms a segment of part of the tube L, and M is a pocket fastened on said tube just outside the segment L. On the outer face or edge of the tube L the name of the post-ofiice is engraved or otherwise suitably produced, as shown in the drawings by the word Philadelphia, the name of the month being in like manner delineated on the slide L', as shown by the word Sep tr.7 in the draw- The pocket M receives movable type or letters to indicate the day of the month and hour of the day. (Shown in the drawings by the gures and letters 6, l 9AM.) It will be 0bserved that the tube L and pocket M project PATENT OFFICE.

slightly beyond the tube C, the object being to permit the marking-letters to be inked Without inking the knives gl g1 or cutter-bar H. The type or letters are held in the pocket M by a set-screw, m, or by any equivalent retaining device. If it be desired to render the cutter-bar adjustable, so as to take up any lost motion yincident to the Wear of the cuttingteeth gl gl, said cutter-bar, instead of being secured to the tube G or cheek-piece K therein, as shown in Fig. 2, may be fastened to a supplemental internal tube, N, the shaft I having its l'iearings in another tube, O. These tubes are adjustable longitudii'lally With respect to each other, so as to move the cutter-bar H to and from the shaft I, being held in their adjusted position by screws n n.

The operation is substantially as follows: The marking-letters are first inked by pressing the end of the tool on an inked pad. The envelope bearing the stamp to be defaced and marked is then laid upon a thick sheet of rubber or other equivalent elastic sheet. The tool is then brought down endwise with a striking motion. The inked tube L, segment L', and letters in pocket M first meet the paper and imprint the postmark thereon. The tube L, ,with its segment and pocket, slide back upon the tube B, allowing the end of the tube C or the cutter-bar H to rest upon the stamp. The downward motion ofthe handle continuing, the stem E is projected downwardly, causing the pins f1* to produce a rotation of the disks or cutters G G, the teeth q1 g1 passing` each other in the slot HE and cutting against the edges l1? h2, which are respectively opposite to them. It will be observed that the points of the cutters g1 g1, when the disks or cutters G Gr are rotated, as described, project slightly beyond the f'ace of the cutterbar H, whereby they cut into the stamp just below said bar, without, however, going deep enough to cut through the envelope to which Y said stamp is affixed, or at least to enter a letter contained in the latter. Said cutters thus actually cut out and bodily remove portions of the stamp, which said portions are irown out throughthe openings fin the tubes It will be understood, of course, that the marking of the envelope and the defacement of the stamp by cutting it are simultaneous, or so nearly so as not to be distinguishable apart, both being accomplished by the one movement of bringing down or striking the tool endwise upon a stamp affixed to the letter.

Upon lifting the tool from the envelope the springs D and l restore the parts which have moved to their normal position.

ln lieu of the tube L, an arm or projection proceeding from the handle A and bearing the letters for printing the postmark may be employed, and said arm, instead of proceeding from the handle, may be affixed to the sleeve B, or form part thereof.

What We claim as our invention isl. In combination with disks or cutters G G, having cutting points or teeth g1 g1, the disk H, having an opening, H', and arranged to opf crate as a cutter-bar, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of handle A, sleeve B,

tube C, spring D, stem E, with slotted head F, having pins f3, disks or cutters Gr G, having cutting points or teeth g1 g1, and cutterbar H, constructed and arranged to operate substantially as shown and setforth.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our hands this 11th day of September, 1878.

SAMUEL MURSET. JOHN M. CRAWFORD. Witnesses:

SAML. J. VAN SrAvoRi-JN, OHAs. F. VAN HORN. 

